GREEN LIGHT: Deputy Premier Jackie Trad fulfilled her disclosure obligations to the ECQ regarding a $300 donation to Steve Franklin at the 2016 Ipswich local government election.Patrick Woods

News

Trad in clear over $300 donation to Ipswich candidate

by jgould

Joel Gould
Journalist
Joel is a journalist with 20 years of experience and since February, 2011 he has been the late reporter at The Queensland Times. Joel specialises in longer features and as the late reporter he chases all the breaking stories that unfold in the evenings. A die hard rugby league fan, Joel has been pushing hard for the Western Corridor bid to be admitted into the NRL.

DEPUTY Premier Jackie Trad fulfilled her disclosure obligations with a $300 donation she gave Division 10 candidate Steve Franklin for the 2016 Ipswich local government election.

In the wake of the announcement of an April Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) public hearing , which includes an investigation into the conduct of Ipswich candidates in the 2016 election, candidates have been scouring the ECQ website and cross-referencing donations reported by candidates with third-party declarations.

Several candidates have contacted the QT to question why a donation by Ms Trad of $300 on February 5, 2016 to Mr Franklin- and declared by Mr Franklin on the ECQ website - was not declared by Ms Trad in the 'Third Parties' disclosure section of the website.

They also queried why the QT had not done a story on it.

A QT investigation has established that Ms Trad did not declare the donation because she did not have to.

Section 124 of the Local Government Act 2011 makes it clear that a third-party must declare a donation of $200 or more during the disclosure period of an election.

For third parties, the disclosure period starts "on the day after the day the returning officer publishes notice of the election in a newspaper under section 25" of the Act.

That notice of election was made on February 6, so for Ms Trad her disclosure period began on February 7.

As the donation was receipted on February 5, she did not need to make a declaration of that donation to the ECQ.

A spokesperson for Ms Trad told the QT: "The Deputy Premier personally purchased $300 worth of raffle tickets in support of her old friend Steven Franklin and was not required to disclose it as it fell outside the disclosure period outlined in the Local Government Electoral Act."

Mr Franklin also received donations from the Ipswich QCU of $950, Dick Williams ($550), AMWU ($2580.18) and from Blair MP Shayne Neumann ($1100) - all receipted on February 5.

None of those donors were required to declare their contributions because they also fell outside the disclosure period, although Mr Neumann did declare his.

"In the interest of openness, transparency and accountability I declared all donations I made to individual candidates because I thought it was appropriate," Mr Neumann said.